U.S. patent number 5,156,113 [Application Number 07/808,471] was granted by the patent office on 1992-10-20 for heated pet watering dish apparatus.
Invention is credited to Robert J. Sextro.
United States Patent |
5,156,113 |
Sextro |
October 20, 1992 |
Heated pet watering dish apparatus
Abstract
A container enclosure includes a top wall, with an opening
directed therethrough receiving a bucket member therewithin for
containing fluid for the use of pets. Prevention of freezing of
water during depressed temperatures is effected by the enclosure
utilizing thickly insulated walls, as well as a floor and top wall
about the bucket member, with an illumination bulb directed into
the enclosure within the enclosure chamber to maintain the water in
an unfrozen state.
Inventors: |
Sextro; Robert J. (Sioux City,
IA) |
Family
ID: |
25198864 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/808,471 |
Filed: |
December 16, 1991 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
119/73;
119/61.52 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K
7/027 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01K
7/00 (20060101); A01K 7/02 (20060101); A01K
007/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;119/73,61,51.01 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Weiss; John G.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Gilden; Leon
Claims
What is claimed as being new and desired to be protected by LETTERS
PATENT of the United States is as follows:
1. A heated pet watering dish apparatus, comprising,
a housing, the housing including side walls, a top wall, and a
floor plate defining a housing chamber therewithin, and
an illumination bulb directed through one of said side walls,
wherein actuation of the illumination bulb directs heating within
the housing chamber, and
the top wall including a top wall opening defined by a
predetermined first diameter, and
a cylindrical bucket, the cylindrical bucket including a
cylindrical bucket side wall defined by a first diameter, and the
cylindrical bucket side wall includes a cylindrical flange fixedly
mounted to the cylindrical side wall adjacent an upper distal end
of the cylindrical side wall, wherein the flange is defined by a
second diameter greater than the first diameter for abutment upon
the top wall when the cylindrical side wall is directed through the
top wall opening, and
each side wall of said side walls includes an insulated interior
panel coextensive with each interior surface within the housing
chamber in contiguous communication with each of said side walls,
and
each side wall includes a side wall top surface corner portion
positioned below and contiguously with the top wall, wherein each
corner portion includes a cylindrical receiving bore, and a
cylindrical stabilizing bar is arranged for sliding reception
within each cylindrical receiving bore, and
at least one said side walls includes a side wall opening, and a
lens plate mounted within the side wall opening, wherein the lens
plate is transparent, and a defuser lens fixedly mounted to the
lens plate, wherein the defuser lens is translucent to direct
illumination through the defuser lens and the lens plate for visual
indication of the housing.
2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a plurality of
support posts orthogonally mounted to the top wall, the support
posts project upwardly relative to the top wall and include a roof
plate, the roof plate including a transparent roof plate top panel,
and the roof plate including a solar heated serpentine conduit coil
contained within the roof plate below the top panel, and a
circulating fluid contained within the conduit coil, and a delivery
conduit in fluid communication with the conduit coil directed from
the roof plate to the top wall and a serpentine heating coil
conduit contained within the housing chamber, and the delivery
conduit in fluid communication with the heating coil conduit, and a
fluid pump, and the heating coil conduit directed to the fluid
pump, and a return conduit directed from the fluid pump through the
top wall and into the floor plate in fluid communication with the
serpentine conduit coil to effect fluid circulation from the
serpentine conduit coil into the heating coil conduit to enhance
heating within the housing chamber.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to pet watering dish structure, and
more particularly pertains to a new and improved heated pet
watering dish apparatus arranged to maintain the water in an
unfrozen state during use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The freezing of drinking fluid for pets is particularly a hazardous
condition available in Northern portions of the United States, as
well as other countries oriented closer to the earth's polar
regions, wherein the instant invention attempts to overcome
deficiencies of the prior art by providing a heated pet food
structure utilizing illumination bulbs projected within an
insulated container to maintain water in a fluid state. Prior art
structure to maintain contents at various temperatures is
exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,173 to Wolgren wherein a pet
dish includes an internal coolant to prevent spoilage of foods
therewithin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,385 to Blinsinger sets forth a water dish
including a liquid in walls thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,711 to Michael sets forth an anti-pest pet dish
preventing crawling insects from projecting into the pet dish
structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,874 to Mahan sets forth an electrified pet dish
preventing crawling insects access to the pet dish structure.
Accordingly, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a
need for a new and improved heated pet watering dish apparatus as
set forth by the instant invention which addresses both the
problems of ease of use as well as effectiveness in construction
and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills
this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types
of pet dish apparatus now present in the prior art, the present
invention provides a heated pet watering dish apparatus wherein the
same is addressed to the heating of water preventing its freezing
within a pet dish. As such, the general purpose of the present
invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail,
is to provide a new and improved heated pet watering dish apparatus
which has all the advantages of the prior art pet dish apparatus
and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention provides a container
enclosure including a top wall, with an opening directed
therethrough receiving a bucket member therewithin for containing
fluid for the use of pets. Prevention of freezing of water during
depressed temperatures is effected by the enclosure utilizing
thickly insulated walls, as well as a floor and top wall about the
bucket member, with an illumination bulb directed into the
enclosure within the enclosure chamber to maintain the water in an
unfrozen state.
My invention resides not in any one of these features per se, but
rather in the particular combination of all of them herein
disclosed and claimed and it is distinguished from the prior art in
this particular combination of all of its structures for the
functions specified.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important
features of the invention in order that the detailed description
thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that
the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
There are, of course, additional features of the invention that
will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject
matter of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will
appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is
based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of
other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several
purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that
the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the
present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, as
especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art
who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to
determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence
of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is
neither intended to define the invention of the application, which
measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the
scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new
and improved heated pet watering dish apparatus which has all the
advantages of the prior art pet dish apparatus and none of the
disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and
improved heated pet watering dish apparatus which may be easily and
efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new
and improved heated pet watering dish apparatus which is of a
durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new
and improved heated pet watering dish apparatus which is
susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both
materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of
low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such
heated pet watering dish apparatus economically available to the
buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
new and improved heated pet watering dish apparatus which provides
in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the
advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the
disadvantages normally associated therewith.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the
various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are
pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming
a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the
invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects
attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying
drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated
preferred embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood and objects other than
those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is
given to the following detailed description thereof. Such
description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is an isometric illustration of the instant invention.
FIG. 2 is an isometric illustration of a container portion of the
invention.
FIG. 3 is an isometric illustration of a modification of the
invention.
FIG. 4 is an isometric illustration of the invention illustrating
use of the lens members mounted through the container.
FIG. 5 is an isometric illustration of the invention illustrating
the lens members mounted within the container.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 to
5 thereof, a new and improved heated pet watering dish apparatus
embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and
generally designated by the reference numerals 10 and 10a will be
described.
More specifically, the heated pet watering dish apparatus 10 of the
instant invention essentially comprises a housing 11, including
side walls 12, a top wall 13, and a floor plate 14. The side walls
in cooperation with the top wall and floor plate define a housing
chamber 15 therewithin containing an illumination bulb 16
projecting into the housing chamber through a side wall, or
alternatively may be directed through the top wall 13 or the floor
plate 14. The side walls (see FIG. 2) define a side wall top
surface corner portion 18 at the intersection of each of the side
walls that is orthogonally oriented relative to the side walls that
may be optionally provided with a cylindrical receiving bore 19
orthogonally directed in through the top surface corner portions 18
to receive a cylindrical stabilizing bar 20 at each corner portion
18 to enhance stabilizing of the organization should materials of
lessened weight be utilized, such as polymerics in lieu of fibrous
wood-type materials.
The top wall 13 includes a top wall opening 21 defined by a
predetermined first diameter arranged to receive a cylindrical
bucket 23 of a cylindrical wall construction of a diameter equal to
the first diameter, wherein the cylindrical bucket is illustrated
to be formed with a metallic floor 24 to enhance heat transfer
through the floor into fluid contained within the cylindrical
bucket. A cylindrical bucket flange 25 mounted in surrounding
relationship relative to an upper terminal end of the bucket 23
about the side wall extends exteriorly of the side wall a width
equal to a second diameter greater than the first diameter to mount
the cylindrical flange 25 in abutment with the top wall 13
permitting access to contents of the bucket by a pet. The side
walls 12 may be further formed with insulated side wall inner
panels 22 to enhance insulative properties of the housing structure
in use when the illumination bulb 16 is actuated and directs heat
interiorly of the housing 11 within the housing chamber 15.
The FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the use of the side walls, including
at least a plurality of side wall openings 26 to complementarily
receive in a fixed relationship a lens plate 27 mounting a defuser
lens 28 forwardly thereof projecting interiorly of the housing
chamber 15 to permit illumination to be defused and directed
through the defuser lens 28 and the associated lens plate 27 that
is transparent to enhance visual indication and orientation of the
organization during use during periods of limited available
light.
The apparatus 10a is arranged to incorporate the defuser light
panel structure of the FIGS. 4 and 5, and may be further provided
as illustrated in the FIG. 3 with support posts 29 orthogonally
projecting upwardly from the top wall 13 including a roof plate 30
mounted thereto. The roof plate 30 includes a transparent roof
plate top panel 31, with a solar heated serpentine conduit coil 32
contained therebelow within the roof plate 30. A delivery conduit
33 directs water from the serpentine conduit coil 32 directed
between the roof plate 30 and the top wall 13, including a delivery
conduit insulation housing 34 formed with the delivery conduit 33.
A return conduit 35 formed with return conduit insulation jacket
structure 36 is directed from the top wall 13 to the roof plate top
panel 31, wherein a fluid pump 38 effects circulation of such fluid
in cooperation with a heating coil conduit 37 contained within the
housing chamber 15 to enhance heating within the enclosure and
enhance heating directed to the bucket 23.
As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention,
the same should be apparent from the above disclosure, and
accordingly, no further discussion relative to the manner of usage
and operation of the instant invention shall be provided.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized
that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the
invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form,
function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed
readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all
equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and
described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by
the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications
and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is
not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and
operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable
modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within
the scope of the invention.
* * * * *